Arlington, VA—The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Science Digital Library (NSDL) invite journalists to attend an NSDL poster reception October 12 and the NSDL annual meeting October 13-15 at the Capital Hilton in Washington, D.C.

The poster reception on Sunday evening will provide an opportunity to see and interact with some of the many online collections that compose the NSDL. Among other things, NSDL collections let students and teachers listen to animals ranging from hummingbirds to whales; compare the skeletons of humans, gorillas and baboons; operate mechanical models for understanding basic principles of motion; explore the oceans through 100 years of sea voyages and historical documents; and find hands-on museum exhibits and classroom activities to explain scientific concepts.

NSDL is an NSF-supported program to build the collections and services of an online digital library for science, technology, engineering and mathematics education. The NSDL provides access to materials and methods that reveal the nature of the physical universe and the intellectual means by which humans discover and understand it. Since 2000, 154 projects have received NSDL collection, service and targeted research awards, including 35 new projects in 2003.

Media representatives are also welcome to attend any of the NSDL annual meeting sessions being held October 13-15. Please see the meeting Web site for details and presenters.

What:

Poster reception, National Science Digital Library annual meeting

Who:

Lee Zia, NSF program officer for NSDL, and creators of
dozens of NSDL collections projects

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering, with an annual budget of nearly $5.3 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives about 30,000 competitive requests for funding, and makes about 10,000 new funding awards. The NSF also awards over $200 million in professional and service contracts yearly.

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